The long-established company Rüsenberg belonging to the Lödige family has invested in its future. After an intensive seven-month reconstruction phase, the construction materials dealer in Steinheim now presents an extended specialized retail market and an impressively generous and stylish exhibition over a total of 1,200 square metres.
On the first November weekend of last year, the EUROBAUSTOFF partner celebrated its opening.
“We were able to keep exactly to our schedule,” said Thomas Lödige, relieved. Together with his brother Heiner Lödige and his parents Heiner and Marit Lödige, he had made the courageous decision to prepare the company for the next generation and to meet customers’ increasing demands. After an extension had been attached to the original building, the staff were able to move into the specialized retail market. There, the product range was revised and expanded. Simply the sheer size of the range of paints and plasters makes customers’ hearts leap. No matter if you choose apple green or blackberry – thanks to the consulting competence at Lödige there are almost no limits to creative ideas. Daily business did not have to be interrupted during the entire reconstruction phase as the old company rooms could be renovated while regular business continued – this was also achieved through the support of all 20 employees who not only participated in setting up the 400 square metre exhibition.
Right beside the entrance, the Lödiges now present timber, PVC floor coverings and tiles in all their diversity in their floor coverings studio. Be inspired by all-in-one bathroom solutions in booths to suit all tastes, also serving professional customers as demonstration examples for their clients. “This enables everyone to get a much better idea of the individual solutions for their home,” say the Lödiges. The entrepreneurial family also expects much of their doors exhibition. “We have always sold doors. But the customers also want to try out the technology.” Not only elderly customers have been taken into consideration in the completely barrier-free rooms. While parents hold intense consultations with the company’s experts, their children are in good hands in the play area.
The strong community within EUROBAUSTOFF helps to avoid that such an ambitious undertaking as renewing and reconstructing a family business, based in this location for 80 years has to be mastered without support. Right from the start, the Lödiges were assisted by the professionals from the headquarters. Being the permanent contact person for the east Westphalian business, Reinhard Stobbe knows about the needs of medium-sized companies depending on smart customers as well as on political support, as he pointed out in his speech at the reopening ceremony. Thomas Ludorf, who also realised the EUROBAUSTOFF concepts ‘MarkenMaschinenShop’ (Brand machine shop) and ‘Exhibition Area’ in Steinheim, determined who the customers to the building material centre Rüsenberg were and which product ranges these target groups expected.
Rainer Klee took over the planning of the 400 square metre exhibition featuring the trades tiles/sanitary equipment, building elements, decorative wood, clinker, facing bricks and construction engineering. The AbisZ company were proven to be convincing shopfitters. Ruco Licht drew up the illumination concept. Katrin Graf from the Marketing Department accompanied all measures connected with the grand reopening. On both days, large crowds of customers attended. The “luck-in-cans” campaign was a great success: 1,000 cans were distributed among the customers and 750 were returned! In addition to this, a leaflet – an 8-page reopening newspaper supplement with a circulation of 26,000 copies – as well as banners for the website were realised. Up to now, the response has been great, and the entrepreneurial family is convinced that they are on the right track to meet their customers’ individual demands, even in the future.
